Dance instructors Kim Kondrat, Ida Lowback, Leah Seery and Jamie Okopny relax after rehearsing during an open house at Spartan Dance Center on Tuesday. The center offers ballet, tap, jazz and other dance classes for participants of all skill levels.
For many students moving to MSU in the past week, it can be stressful to make the transition to campus life.
Tiffany Russell understands this stress and has modeled her new dance studio, Spartan Dance Center, 217 Ann St., to serve a young clientele of dancers in the area who want to get away from the pressure of school.
She and her staff of 15 instructors offer various classes from Zumba to break-dancing for people of all ages and skill levels.
“We wanted to give a user-friendly, budget-friendly environment,” Russell said. “It’s amazing how many people get to school and they have nowhere to dance that works with their schedules and is also budget friendly.”
Spartan Dance Center has an upstairs and downstairs studio with dance bars and black mats that line the floor to serve many adult drop-ins for ages 16 and older.
Children also can enroll in the Junior Spartan program, which ranges from ages three to 15 in the East Lansing area.
Russell held an open house at the studio from 2-9 p.m. Tuesday, allowing people to tour the studio and watch demonstrations by the staff. The dance studio will hold another open house from 2-9 p.m. Wednesday.
“We don’t want to be stale,” she said.
“We’re trying to be very cutting edge, very trendy. Dance is like fashion because it’s always changing. If you don’t adjust, you end up getting stuck in the ‘80s.”
Marketing junior Kim Kondrat is an instructor at the new Spartan Dance Center and is putting her 15 years of dance experience to work. Kondrat said she plans to teach modern jazz.
“Dance is getting bigger and bigger in the area and that’s awesome for us,” Kondrat said.
“You don’t have to come every week but you can come and get a good workout when it fits your schedule.”
Although she isn’t sure where her major will take her, Kondrat cites a passion for dance as her reasoning for teaching at the new studio.
“I definitely want to dance forever,” Kondrat said. “I can’t not dance, so it’s an awesome side job. It’s really an awesome idea and environment.”
Hongda “Hondo” Shen, a business junior at Lansing Community College, started dancing at Cass Community Social Services in Detroit where he joined the break-dancing group Hardcore Detroit.
He plans to teach break-dancing and serve as a manager at the Spartan Dance Center.
“(Spartan Dance Center) is like a college environment,” Shen said. “It’s very college-friendly.”
Spartan Dance Center operates on a drop-in schedule that does not require registration or membership.
The center offers a class card which accommodates the $12 per class cost and they also offer five sessions for $55 and ten sessions for $100.
Shen encourages people of all abilities to give the studio a try.
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“People, don’t be shy,” he said. “Try something new. We have something for everybody.”
